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 With Sachin Tendulkar’s fitness still a question mark, a struggling India are hoping for the New Year to bring some luck to the team in the third one-day international against New Zealand here tomorrow. Tendulkar, who missed the first two matches of the series due to an ankle sprain, is a doubtful starter for tomorrow’s day-night game too even though captain Sourav Ganguly was optimistic that the master batsman would play. Physio Andrew Leipus is said to be not totally certain of Tendulkar’s recovery and unless he gives the go-ahead, Tendulkar might well have to sit out another game. Tendulkar’s fitness is crucial to India’s hopes as they are in a desperate situation now after having lost both the one-dayers to go 0-2 down in the seven-match series.
The batsmen have been woefully out of form, managing just 327 runs in the two one-dayers combined, and the fielding also dipped sharply in the last match. However, Ganguly today asked his fans to be patient, saying this was the same team which had been winning matches for most of the year.
He derived hope from Virender Sehwag who hit a brilliant century in the previous game after struggling in the earlier matches, and said the dashing opener was the perfect example for the other batsmen to follow. "Sehwag is back in form and it is up to the rest of us to pull our socks and get some runs on the board," Ganguly said in his pre-match comments today. "For a team to be successful, at least three of the seven batsmen have to score runs in every game. But that is not happening," said Ganguly who himself has managed just 43 runs from six innings in this tour.
"Most of them (batsmen) are definitely out of form. And our fielding too was bad in Napier. Of course, we are having a tough time. "Sometimes it surprises me, it is the same team which did so well in the last ten months," he said. But Ganguly was dismissive of former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe’s suggestion that the Indians were not doing well because their minds were pre-occupied with the contracts row. "We had the contracts problem in England and we had the contracts problem in the Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka, but we hardly lost anything on those tours," Ganguly said. "When you don't do well, lots of useless comments go around. When you are in front of television, you have to speak something. So you speak. "If you look through this year, we have won more than we have lost and if you look at the winning margin, it’s a lot," he said.
India have played 35 one-day matches this year, winning 20 and losing 12 with three no-results. In the Tests, they have won six and lost five from 16 matches. Indian coach John Wright pointed out even the absence of Tendulkar could not be the reason for India's woeful performance in this series. "We are a stronger side with him but in my time I have played around 20 games without Sachin and done well. We don't need dependence on any one player," Wright said. "We have to create a situation and an attitude where you expect anyone of the six or seven batsmen to do the job. "We have to rediscover the eagerness and zest we had in England and the ICC Trophy in Sri Lanka. There was a real hunger," he said.
Wright said India would have to ensure that they tightened up their fielding in the remaining matches. "Some of the fielding in the last match was unacceptable. It can happen once. But if it happens again, that would be serious," he said. Poor fielding performance may cost Ashish Nehra his place in the side tomorrow. Nehra bowled decently in Napier but his fielding left much to be desired. According to indications, all-rounder Ajit Agarkar, who is yet to get a look-in on this tour, would replace Nehra. New Zealand, on the other hand, would miss their express bowler Shane Bond for the second consecutive game. Bond, who did not play in Napier is suffering from a side strain and his place is likely to be taken by Mike Mason of Central Districts. "Bondie's (Shane Bond) absence is a blow but we are all looking at the World Cup and caution is the key," New Zealand captain Stephen Fleming said.
"We need him in South Africa to win the World Cup," he said. Fleming was happy that Bond's absence was not felt in Napier and urged his bowlers to continue their dominance in the series. "The guys are stepping forward and getting the job done in pressure-packed situation. Its (Bond's absence) a loss but the guys are responding very well," he said. Fleming said his team was fast developing a winning habit. "We are becoming consistent. I would not say it is a habit but we are on our way." The conditions at the Jade Stadium here are brilliant for cricket with a batsman-friendly pitch and bright sunshine promising plenty of run-scoring tomorrow.
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